We need smart regs for dockless scooters, not a total ban. Scooters are popular, convenient, zero emission. If we are serious about combatting climate change, cutting emissions, or reducing gridlock, we need to put our mobility where our mouth is. https://t.co/PwJbOo8Zr7

State

Talk about not getting it. A New York expat in San Luis Obispo says people in SLO aren’t going to give up their cars to walk, bike or take mass transit. The point is to make it safe and convenient for people who want to leave their cars at home, which will make traffic a little easier for everyone — even people who insist on driving everywhere.

Talk about not getting it. An Illinois accident reconstruction specialist says bike riders should only ride on quiet country roads, not urban bike paths. Which is fine if you only ride recreationally, but ridiculous if you actually need to go somewhere. He also doesn’t seem to know the difference between a bike path and a bike lane.

An Illinois politician says the racist comment he posted to a video online isn’t racist, just funny. If you consider a stumbling drunk white woman knocking a Hispanic woman off her bicycle, combined with a joke about Trump’s border wall, funny. Thanks to J. Patrick Lynch for the heads-up.

International

A very well-deserved five years behind bars for a British man who downed a Jägermeister shot and 10 pints of beer, then got behind the wheel and sent 38 texts while driving before running down a man riding his bike. And just drove away afterwards. You really have to suck to make five years seem like a light sentence.

No bias here. A British paper writes that Aussie motorists blew up when they saw a photo of a bicyclist riding in the street, rather than in a brand new $4.7 million protected bike lane next to it. And only at the end mentions that the bike lane was still taped off because it wasn’t open yet.

Someone riding a scooter needs two types of headlight but not a taillight? A light that is visible from 300 can be pretty feeble. One of those tiny single LED lights that are intended for a jogger’s belt (or headband?) can technically be seen from 1000ft. If you had a single effective headlight and taillight, both attached to the scooter, but nothing on your person you would be in violation of the law.
I don’t understand why taillights are not required for all vehicles. This might be the only 1st world country that doesn’t require taillights on bicycles. The effectiveness of reflectors depends on too many variables being right at the right time.

I believe the US requires a larger amount of reflective surfaces in automotive side and taillights than the EU or Japan. I doesn’t seem to do much good. We also have the least safe roads in the 1st world. In terms of road deaths per capita we are usually in between Indonesia and the Phillipines.

As for the Metro bus wandering into the bike lane, yeah, for me, happens way too often – as I commute through DTLA most days.

I get that they have to pull to the right for passengers, but these are *professionals* who should know how to check for bike traffic before they move across the bike lane.

I have a very bright light that is set to strobe mode weather I ride day or night – which seems to help sometimes.

Also, have added a coaches whistle to augment the less effective bike bell. That thing is blisteringly loud. Get’s the attention of anyone in the area. Highly recommended – and inexpensive. But you’re not going to make any friends using it too often 🙂

Couldn’t get to the New Orleans article. I think you posted one about a rider getting fined like that before. The cop went and wrote up infractions for every thing wrong, One ticket for every missing reflector. Not like on a car where you would get a fix-it ticket. Just crazy and an example of using the laws to smack people you don’t like for what ever reason.

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